Leadership

Lead Pastor / Elder: Ryan Tipton
(B.A., M.Div, M.A.)
ryantipton33@gmail.com

Ryan Tipton was raised in Sheridan, Arkansas and went on to study his undergraduate degree at Ouachita Baptist University where he majored in Biblical Studies/ Language. After graduation he went on a two-week mission trip to Romania and returned a year and a half later. Upon his return from the mission field he met and married his wife, Cindy (Ayers) of nine years and moved to Griffin, Georgia where he served at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church as Pastor of Students and Associate Pastor of Preaching. During this time he received his M.Div at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. After seven years of ministry, God called Ryan and his wife once again to the mission field. Together they moved to London, England where Cindy served as a full-time missionary, while Ryan attended the London School of Theology, where he received an M.A. in Aspects of Biblical Hermeneutics. Following the ever-persistent call of God to church-planting, Ryan and Cindy returned to the United States to plant a church in Cindy's hometown, Newnan, Georgia. His heart and passion is the zealous pursuit of Jesus Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom.

Ecclesia is an Elder-Led church. The Bible has several passages that deal with ecclesiology. These passages include: John 17:23; Acts 14:23, 20:17,28-32, 21:18; I Corinthians 11:17-18; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 4:3; I Timothy 3,4:14, 5:1-2,17-19; Titus 1:5-9; James 5:14-15; and I Peter 5:1-5.
My understanding of the biblical teaching is that the church should be led by a group of pastor-elders who serve in covenant relationships with one another. -- Ed Stetzer
We recognize the need for a group of elders with the pastor operating as the first among equals. We also recognize the importance of biblical qualifications and currently use an external elder board until which time God sends our church qualifies elders to fill this role.